Today In Railroad History

February 5 , 1836

Henry R. Campbell of the Philadelphia, Germantown & Norristown Railroad patents the first 4-4-0, a steam locomotive type that will soon become the most common on all railroads of the United States.

February 5, 1883

Southern Pacific Railroad completes "The Sunset Route."

February 5, 1887

The worst railroad accident in Vermont history occurred at the town of Hartford. An express train to Montreal jumped the rails on the West Hartford bridge and plunged over a gorge into the ice-laden White River. More than 40 people perished.
 
February 6 in Railroad History

* 1815 - The first railroad charter in the United States is issued to the New Jersey Railroad Company, a railroad that ultimately was never built.

* 1835 - The Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad, a predecessor of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, is incorporated in Indiana.

* 1837 - The Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad is reorganized as the Northern Indiana Railroad.

* 1951 - ; "The Broker", a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train, derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey killing 85 people and injuring over 500 more.

* 2002 - Sabotage to some railway signal and power lines near Durban, South Africa, prevents a switch from being thrown properly, which in turn causes a commuter train to collide with a stationary freight train in the Charlotte’s Dale train crash; 24 people died and 168 more were injured in the collision.
 
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I wanted to add some about the wreck of the "Broker" being I have a special interest in this being my Grandfather was on board this train and luckily survived with a mild back injury. The Broker was a Pennsylvania Railroad express carrying commuters from NYC and North Jersey from Penn Station in Jersey City to the Jersey Shore. Just that day the line started using a temporary trestle just past the Woodbridge Station that had to move the line over to accommodate construction of the New Jersey Turnpike. There was a reduce speed order for that section to 25 mph from it's usual 60 mph. For whatever reason the engineer Joseph Fitzsimmons, did not get the train slowed down in time. The train consisted of 11 cars and it's locomotive and tender, a PRR K4s 2445 steam locomotive. The train derailed starting at the tender and slid down an embankment killing 85 and injuring more than 500. The engineer survived but never worked again, his fireman Albert "Paddy" Dunn did not survive. Dunn had called in sick that day but at the last minute felt better and went in to work.
 
February 8, 1836

London and Greenwich Railway opens its first section, the first railway in London, England

February 8, 1873

Salinas to Soledad Railroad - construction began: grading and laying rails.

February 8, 1901

Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Co., an act was passed by the Legislature and approved by the Governor, entitled “An Act Supplemental to Chapter 70, of the Revised Statutes, entitled “Of Railroads,' ” authorizing the trustee of a railroad mortgage to become the purchaser for the benefit of the bond holders at any sale of the railroad.
 
February 9, 1857

The Central Pacific Railroad is incorporated in Nebraska Territory to build a railroad from the Missouri River through the Rocky Mountains to Washington Territory.

February 9, 1880

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company pulled its first train into the Santa Fe, New Mexico depot, its arrival celebrated by colorful speeches and a grand parade. With that train, the treacherous journey by horseback, covered wagon or stage coach on the rutted old Santa Fe Trail came to an end.
 
February 10, 1851

The Illinois Central was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly. Senator Stephen Douglas and later President Abraham Lincoln were both Illinois Central men who lobbied for it. Douglas owned land near the terminal in Chicago. Lincoln was a lawyer for the railroad.

February 10, 1935

The Pennsylvania Railroad began passenger service with its electric locomotive. The engine was 79-1/2 feet long and weighed 230 tons.

February 10, 1941

The British Army constructs a 60 cm narrow gauge railway from Kassala in Sudan 90 km east to Tessenei in Eritrea to support their military advance.
 
February 11, 1850

The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway Company was chartered.

February 11, 1859

The Kansas Territorial Legislature created the Santa Fe Railway. The charter provided that the company be incorporated under the name of the Atchison and Topeka Railway Company.
 
February 12, 1827

After a year of studying railroad operations in England, 25 investors form The Baltimore & Ohio railroad Company.

February 12, 1849

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, the official name of the Burlington Route, started from humble beginnings in Aurora, Illinois.

February 12, 1855

The Michigan Central Railway started using the telegraph to control train operations, the first railroad to make widespread use of the technology.

February 12, 1868

The Columbus and Indiana Central Railway and Chicago and Great Eastern Railway merge to form the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway.
 
February 14, 1845

James Polk becomes the first President-elect to arrive in Washington D.C. by train. He rode from Relay, Md. to Washington.

February 14, 1851

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad receives a charter to build the Northwestern Virginia Railroad from Grafton to Parkersburg.

February 14, 1886

The first trainload of oranges leaves Los Angeles.
 
February 15, 1854

Pennsylvania Railroad's Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, Pennsylvania, opens for railroad traffic.

February 15, 1855

The North Carolina General Assembly incorporates the Western North Carolina Railroad to build a rail line from Salisbury to the western part of the state

February 15, 1855

The Joliet and Chicago Railroad was chartered'

February 15, 1870

Ground broken for Northern Pacific Railway near Duluth, Minnesota.
The Horseshoe Curve is still in service as part of Norfolk Southern's operations. I went through on Amtrac's Pennsylvanian a number of years ago traveling from Pittsburgh to Huntingdon PA to visit relatives.
 
February 16, 1881

The Canadian Pacific Railway is incorporated by Act of Parliament.

February 16, 1909

The first Subway car with side doors went into service in New York City.

February 16, 1951

Canadian National began testing a Budd model RDC-1 self propelled diesel rail car between Montreal and Ottawa.
 
February 21, 1869

Construction of the Union Pacific reaches Devil's Gate, Utah Territory.

February 21, 1985

Soo Line Railroad acquires the Milwaukee Road and begins operating it as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

February 21, 1990

U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upholds the constitutionality of railbanking, the system of railroads allowing trail companies to use a dormant sections of railroad until they are needed again for rail service.
 
On February 22, 1804, a locomotive hauled a load of 10 tons of iron, 70 men and five extra wagons the 9 miles between the ironworks at Pen-y-Darron in the town of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales to the bottom of the valley called Abercynnon. It took about two hours.

On February 22, 1861, on the Strasburg Railroad, President Abraham Lincoln made a stop at Leaman Place on his inaugural train ride, en route to Lancaster. His four-minute visit brought nearly 5,000 people out to cheer for the President Elect and Mrs. Lincoln.
 
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